amazon_syren (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
amazon_syren) wrote2008-01-29 06:16 pm
amazon_syren) wrote2008-01-29 06:16 pm
Entry tags:
In Which Amazon Mourns for Her Wardrobe. (No, really).
Good Evening. :-)
So, guess what? I just spent an hour trying on a bunch of my Fun Clothes to see if they still fit.
FYI? Most of them don't.
:-P
Fuck.
:-P
Not, I grant you, that I have buckets of opportunity to get gussied up to Go Out anywhere, but still. I think it's kind of sad.
For a number of reasons which, you lucky people, I shall now enumerate:
1) I don't get to go out as much as I used to.
2) I don't have to body I used to.
3) I'm feeling sad about not having the body I used to, even though I *like* the body I have now.
4) Not that most of those clothes cost me much (or anything, in some cases), but it's sad to have to get rid of them. :-(
I mean, I've got a really cute vinyl corsetty thing that *really* doesn't fit me any more. I get 'back tits' with it now, even at its loosest. Four years ago, it fit me fine with the laces done up so tight that the grommets touched. My pvc halter top thing hasn't fit in about two years. Same with my spider corset, my silver bodice and the red-roses bodice that closed using little bows all down the front.
Now, granted, switching to full/a-line skirts, well-structured, hip-length bodices and Things That Drape Prettily isn't exactly a hardship, and it's not like getting rid of old stuff won't make room for new stuff.
It's just sad. It's like, I dunno... getting rid of your "skinny clothes" -- it's like your admitting you'll never be able to wear them again. Getting rid of my clubbing clothes is like saying "I am now committed to a life of sitting at home and reading on all my Friday Nights. For Ever." Which is mildly distressing, even if I really like reading. :-)
In other news:
I like it when guys wear makeup.
I like it, too, when guys wear nice suits, or well-fitting t-shirts, or jeans that fit them just-so. I like it when guys wear tall boots with buckles up the sides. I like it when guys have a succession of steel hoops following the curve of the cartilage in their ears. I like elegant, monochromatic tattoos. In short, I like adornment.
I like men who adorn themselves.
Why?
For the simple reason that they make the world a prettier place.
No, really.
See, here's the thing. (Well, the beginning of a series of things).
I could say that Guys Who Wear Makeup - and by this, I mean the darker-end-of-the-subcultural-spectrum guys who wear eyeliner and lipstick and nail polish and so-on - are being super-subversive by saying 'fuck you' to traditional forms of masculinity.
And they are.
That said, makeup on guys is pretty normal, subculturally speaking, so how *much* they are doing so is, in a way, up for debate.
I could - in relation to the "I like it when guys wear makeup because they make the world that much prettier" thing - also say that, by wearing makeup, they are recognizing women as *having* a gaze, as opposed to only being the object of the male one.
However that would suggest that they are dressing up purely for, say, my benefit.
Which is just as stupid an assumption as the one that say Amazon does her hair for the sake of the men (and/or boys and/or guys) who might, potentially, have to look at her during the day.
Hahahaha.
And we all know how likely that is.
(Also, it presumes they're all het - though, granted, since - due to the Male Gaze thing - guys who dress up, adorn themselves, or generally give a damn about their appearances are often assumed to be gay this is... Well, no, it's still an assumption, so let's just leave it as "Yep. There's an assumption. Moving on...")
On a Related Note (that WILL turn into a bit of a rant, I warn you):
I sometimes (often) wonder why my husband - who knows what colours look good on him, and which ones don't - none the less chooses to Not Care About That Stuff.
I will have to ask him.
See, I wonder if it doesn't stem from the whole thing I mentioned above: That, if a man chooses to dress in a way that actually flatters his skin tone and/or figure, he is presumed to be gay and/or (ha - how often are these two things used interchangeably?) un-masculine.
Conversely, it could stem from the desire to not be seen as shallow. (The whole thing about "Oh, I don't care about fashion", yada, yada, yada).
(Of course, on this front, the answer comes back: Yes, dear, but you won't be perceived as shallow if you wear clothes that look *good* on you. You'll be perceived as shallow if you slavishly follow trends without giving a second's thought to whether or not they suit you. If you just give a damn about whether or not a given colour makes you look ashen or jaundiced or (preferably) attractive and alive/healthy[1], then no-one will notice that you're wearing a second-hand sweat-shirt. Because that colour just looks so good. Y'know?)
[Note: This is where things get Ranty]
The third reason, of course, is: I refuse to be bothered. (Which always ends up sounding petulant in my head, but maybe that's just me). And that is, often, the voice of Frustration talking. As in: I hate having to put effort into this, so I refuse to bother.
Now, with the women who shop/ped in my store, that was usually because women's clothing more or less sucks and, unless you give enough of a damn about your appearance AND recognize that you're going to have to think outside the lines just a little bit and learn the tricks that will show off your own body at your best, no women's clothing is going to fit *any* woman's body perfectly. It's stupid, but it just doesn't work that way. :-P
But I truly, truly don't understand why anyone, if they knew *how* to dress themselves in a way that didn't make them look washed out and slightly under the weather... Why the hell wouldn't they do it?
It seriously boggles my mind, and I'm not sure what that says about me... :-\
Anyway. That's what's been on my mind today. :-)
I fear that I may be coming down with something. My eyes are bleary (or my vision is blurry, either way) and I have that Hot-Ick-Sick feeling in the back of my throat, and I'm really, freaking tired. And I want a hot bath.
But I must continue tidying up. Really, really, really. :-)
- TTFN,
- Amazon.
[1] Yes, I know. The colour won't actually make you healthier. None the less, I've had royal blue make me *look* healthier on numerous occasions, which is a help when you have to Deal with the public, and want them to talk to you without giving you that "do I really want to be around this person? What if she's contagious?" look...
So, guess what? I just spent an hour trying on a bunch of my Fun Clothes to see if they still fit.
FYI? Most of them don't.
:-P
Fuck.
:-P
Not, I grant you, that I have buckets of opportunity to get gussied up to Go Out anywhere, but still. I think it's kind of sad.
For a number of reasons which, you lucky people, I shall now enumerate:
1) I don't get to go out as much as I used to.
2) I don't have to body I used to.
3) I'm feeling sad about not having the body I used to, even though I *like* the body I have now.
4) Not that most of those clothes cost me much (or anything, in some cases), but it's sad to have to get rid of them. :-(
I mean, I've got a really cute vinyl corsetty thing that *really* doesn't fit me any more. I get 'back tits' with it now, even at its loosest. Four years ago, it fit me fine with the laces done up so tight that the grommets touched. My pvc halter top thing hasn't fit in about two years. Same with my spider corset, my silver bodice and the red-roses bodice that closed using little bows all down the front.
Now, granted, switching to full/a-line skirts, well-structured, hip-length bodices and Things That Drape Prettily isn't exactly a hardship, and it's not like getting rid of old stuff won't make room for new stuff.
It's just sad. It's like, I dunno... getting rid of your "skinny clothes" -- it's like your admitting you'll never be able to wear them again. Getting rid of my clubbing clothes is like saying "I am now committed to a life of sitting at home and reading on all my Friday Nights. For Ever." Which is mildly distressing, even if I really like reading. :-)
In other news:
I like it when guys wear makeup.
I like it, too, when guys wear nice suits, or well-fitting t-shirts, or jeans that fit them just-so. I like it when guys wear tall boots with buckles up the sides. I like it when guys have a succession of steel hoops following the curve of the cartilage in their ears. I like elegant, monochromatic tattoos. In short, I like adornment.
I like men who adorn themselves.
Why?
For the simple reason that they make the world a prettier place.
No, really.
See, here's the thing. (Well, the beginning of a series of things).
I could say that Guys Who Wear Makeup - and by this, I mean the darker-end-of-the-subcultural-spectrum guys who wear eyeliner and lipstick and nail polish and so-on - are being super-subversive by saying 'fuck you' to traditional forms of masculinity.
And they are.
That said, makeup on guys is pretty normal, subculturally speaking, so how *much* they are doing so is, in a way, up for debate.
I could - in relation to the "I like it when guys wear makeup because they make the world that much prettier" thing - also say that, by wearing makeup, they are recognizing women as *having* a gaze, as opposed to only being the object of the male one.
However that would suggest that they are dressing up purely for, say, my benefit.
Which is just as stupid an assumption as the one that say Amazon does her hair for the sake of the men (and/or boys and/or guys) who might, potentially, have to look at her during the day.
Hahahaha.
And we all know how likely that is.
(Also, it presumes they're all het - though, granted, since - due to the Male Gaze thing - guys who dress up, adorn themselves, or generally give a damn about their appearances are often assumed to be gay this is... Well, no, it's still an assumption, so let's just leave it as "Yep. There's an assumption. Moving on...")
On a Related Note (that WILL turn into a bit of a rant, I warn you):
I sometimes (often) wonder why my husband - who knows what colours look good on him, and which ones don't - none the less chooses to Not Care About That Stuff.
I will have to ask him.
See, I wonder if it doesn't stem from the whole thing I mentioned above: That, if a man chooses to dress in a way that actually flatters his skin tone and/or figure, he is presumed to be gay and/or (ha - how often are these two things used interchangeably?) un-masculine.
Conversely, it could stem from the desire to not be seen as shallow. (The whole thing about "Oh, I don't care about fashion", yada, yada, yada).
(Of course, on this front, the answer comes back: Yes, dear, but you won't be perceived as shallow if you wear clothes that look *good* on you. You'll be perceived as shallow if you slavishly follow trends without giving a second's thought to whether or not they suit you. If you just give a damn about whether or not a given colour makes you look ashen or jaundiced or (preferably) attractive and alive/healthy[1], then no-one will notice that you're wearing a second-hand sweat-shirt. Because that colour just looks so good. Y'know?)
[Note: This is where things get Ranty]
The third reason, of course, is: I refuse to be bothered. (Which always ends up sounding petulant in my head, but maybe that's just me). And that is, often, the voice of Frustration talking. As in: I hate having to put effort into this, so I refuse to bother.
Now, with the women who shop/ped in my store, that was usually because women's clothing more or less sucks and, unless you give enough of a damn about your appearance AND recognize that you're going to have to think outside the lines just a little bit and learn the tricks that will show off your own body at your best, no women's clothing is going to fit *any* woman's body perfectly. It's stupid, but it just doesn't work that way. :-P
But I truly, truly don't understand why anyone, if they knew *how* to dress themselves in a way that didn't make them look washed out and slightly under the weather... Why the hell wouldn't they do it?
It seriously boggles my mind, and I'm not sure what that says about me... :-\
Anyway. That's what's been on my mind today. :-)
I fear that I may be coming down with something. My eyes are bleary (or my vision is blurry, either way) and I have that Hot-Ick-Sick feeling in the back of my throat, and I'm really, freaking tired. And I want a hot bath.
But I must continue tidying up. Really, really, really. :-)
- TTFN,
- Amazon.
[1] Yes, I know. The colour won't actually make you healthier. None the less, I've had royal blue make me *look* healthier on numerous occasions, which is a help when you have to Deal with the public, and want them to talk to you without giving you that "do I really want to be around this person? What if she's contagious?" look...